Firefighters of the future

By Casey Neill
HILLS and Yarra Valley students fired up to learn fire fighting basics at a recent training course.
Monbulk, Upwey, Boronia Heights, Healesville and Upper Yarra high schools completed the fire fighting component of their Certificate II in Public Safety at Swinburne TAFE in Croydon.
The 70 Year 10 and 11 students pumped water, extinguished fires, learnt their way around a fire truck, were taught the importance of equipment maintenance and learnt quick tips to save a person’s life, including CPR.
“They didn’t realise it’d be so much fun,” Monbulk College VCAL co-ordinator Loretta Goldsmith said.
“They not only learn skills towards the outcome of the course, but also the value of volunteering for the community.”
The course includes guest speakers and fire station field trips and teaches students about volunteering.
They learn to complete fire danger assessments, risk identification and develop teamwork skills.
The opportunity for the five colleges to participate came from a $50,000 Schools First Local Impact Award Monbulk College received last year.
The school has offered students Certificate II in Public Safety through Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) since 2005.
It decided to use the money to get other local schools involved in the program.
“Every school has got fire hoses, but if you don’t know how to use it, they’re useless,” Ms Goldsmith said.